Composition and method for controlling pests

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a composition for controlling pests comprising, as active ingredients, ethaboxam and a neonicotinoid compound represented by formula (1); and so on.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a composition for controlling pests anda method for controlling pests.

BACKGROUND ART

A fungicidal compound, ethaboxam (KR-B-0124552) and insecticidalneonicotinoid compounds (“The Pesticide Manual—14th edition” publishedby BCPC, ISBN: 1901396142, pp. 209, 1022 and 598) are conventionallyknown as active ingredients of agents for controlling pests.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a composition forcontrolling pests and a method for controlling pests and so on, havingexcellent control effect for pests.

The present invention provides a composition for controlling pests and amethod for controlling pests, having an improved control effect forpests by combining ethaboxam with a neonicotinoid compound representedby the following formula (1).

Specifically, the present invention takes the following constitutions.

[1] A composition for controlling pests comprising, as activeingredients, ethaboxam and a neonicotinoid compound represented byformula (1):

wherein A represents a 6-chloro-3-pyridyl group, a 2-chloro-5-thiazolylgroup, a tetrahydrofuran-2-yl group or a tetrahydrofuran-3-yl group; Zrepresents a methyl group, an NHR² group, an N(CH₃)R² group or an SR²group; R¹ represents a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or an ethyl group;R² represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; or R¹ and R² togethermay form a CH₂CH₂ group or a CH₂OCH₂ group; X represents a nitrogen atomor a CH group; and Y represents a cyano group or a nitro group;

[2] The composition for controlling pests according to [1], wherein theneonicotinoid compound represented by formula (1) is selected from thegroup consisting of clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam;

[3] The composition for controlling pests according to [1] or [2], whichhas a weight ratio of ethaboxam to the neonicotinoid compoundrepresented by formula (1) of [1] falling within the range of from1:0.125 to 1:500;

[4] A seed treatment agent comprising, as active ingredients, ethaboxamand the neonicotinoid compound represented by formula (1) of [1];

[5] A plant seed treated with effective amounts of ethaboxam and theneonicotinoid compound represented by formula (1) of [1];

[6] A method for controlling pests which comprises applying, to a plantor a locus where a plant is allowed to grow, effective amounts ofethaboxam and the neonicotinoid compound represented by formula (1) of[1];

[7] Combined use for controlling pests of ethaboxam and theneonicotinoid compound represented by formula (1) of [1] ; and so on.

The composition according to the present invention exhibits an excellentcontrol effect for pests.

MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Ethaboxam for use in the present invention is a compound described inKR-B-0124552. This compound can be obtained from commercial agents orcan be synthesized, for example, by a method described in KR-B-0124552.

The neonicotinoid compound for use in the present invention is acompound represented by formula (1);

wherein A represents a 6-chloro-3-pyridyl group, a 2-chloro-5-thiazolylgroup; a tetrahydrofuran-2-yl group or a tetrahydrofuran-3-yl group; Zrepresents a methyl group, an NHR² group, an N(CH₃)R² group or an SR²group; R¹ represents a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or an ethyl group;R² represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; or R¹ and R² togethermay form a CH₂CH₂ group or a CH₂OCH₂ group; X represents a nitrogen atomor a CH group; and Y represents a cyano group or a nitro group.

Specific examples of the neonicotinoid compound represented by formula(1) include:

a compound in which A is a 2-chloro-5-thiazolyl group, Z is an NHCH₃group, R³ is a hydrogen atom, X is a nitrogen atom, and Y is a nitrogroup (common name: clothianidin);

a compound in which A is a 2-chloro-5-thiazolyl group, Z is an N(CH₃)R²group, R¹ and R² together form a CH₂OCH₂ group, X is a nitrogen atom,and Y is a nitro group (common name: thiamethoxam);

a compound in which A is a 6-chloro-3-pyridyl group, Z is an NHR² group,R¹ and R² together form a CH₂CH₂ group, X is a nitrogen atom, and Y is anitro group (common name: imidacloprid);

a compound in which A is a 6-chloro-3-pyridyl group, Z is as N(CH₃)R²group, R¹ is an ethyl group, R² is a hydrogen atom, X is a CH group, andY is a nitro group (common name: nitenpyram);

a compound in which A is a tetrahydrofuran-3-yl group, Z is an N(CH₃)R²group, R¹ is a hydrogen atom, R² is a hydrogen atom, X is a nitrogenatom, and Y is a nitro group (common name: dinotefuran);

a compound in which A is a 6-chloro-3-pyridyl group, Z is a methylgroup, R¹ is a methyl group, X is a nitrogen atom, and Y is a cyanogroup (common name: acetamiprid); and

a compound in which A is a 6-chloro-3-pyridyl group, Z is an SR² group,R¹ and R² together form a CH₂CH₂ group, X is a nitrogen atom, and Y is acyano group (common name: thiacloprid).

Of these, clothianidin, thiamethoxam and imidacloprid are preferable,and clothianidin is more preferable.

The neonicotinoid compound represented by formula (1) is a well-knowncompound, and described, for example, in “The Pesticide Manual”, 14thedition, published by British Crop Protection Council, ISBN 1901396142,pp. 209, 598, 1,022. These compounds can be obtained from commercialagents or by preparation by well-known methods.

In the composition for controlling pests according to the presentinvention, the weight ratio of ethaboxam to the neonicotinoid compoundrepresented by formula (1), for example, either one of clothianidin,thiamethoxam and imidacloprid is typically in the range of 1:0.125 to1:500, preferably 1:0.25 to 1:200.

The composition for controlling pests according to the present inventionmay be a simple mixture of ethaboxam and the neonicotinoid compoundrepresented by formula (1). Alternatively, the composition forcontrolling pests is typically produced by mixing ethaboxam and theneonicotinoid compound, represented by formula (1) with an inertcarrier, and adding to the mixture a surfactant and other adjuvants asneeded so that the mixture can be formulated into an oil agent, anemulsion, a flowable agent, a wettable powder, a granulated wettablepowder, a powder agent, a granule agent and so on. The composition forcontrolling pests mentioned above can be used as a seed treatment agentof the present invention as it is or added with other inert ingredients.

In the composition for controlling pests according to the presentinvention, the total amount of ethaboxam and the neonicotinoid compoundrepresented by formula (1), for example, either one of clothianidin,thiamethoxam and imidacloprid is typically in the range of 0.1 to 99% byweight, preferably 0.2 to 90% by weight.

Examples of the solid carrier used in formulation include fine powdersor granules such as minerals such as kaolin clay, attapulgite clay,bentonite, montmorillonite, acid white clay, pyrophyllite, talc,diatomaceous earth and calcite; natural organic materials such as cornrachis powder and walnut husk powder; synthetic organic materials suchas urea; salts such as calcium carbonate and ammonium sulfate; syntheticinorganic materials such as synthetic hydrated silicon oxide; and as aliquid carrier, aromatic hydrocarbons such as xylene, alkylbenzene andmethylnaphthalene; alcohols such as 2-propanol, ethyleneglycol,propylene glycol, and ethylene glycol monoethyl ether; ketones such asacetone, cyclohexanone and isophorone; vegetable oil such as soybean oiland cotton seed oil; petroleum aliphatic hydrocarbons, esters,dimethylsulfoxide, acetonitrile and water.

Examples of the surfactant include anionic surfactants such as alkylsulfate ester salts, alkylaryl sulfonate salts, dialkyl sulfosuccinatesalts, polyoxyethylene alkylaryl ether phosphate ester salts,lignosulfonate salts and naphthalene sulfonate formaldehydepolycondensates; and nonionic surfactants such as polyoxyethylene alkylaryl ethers, polyoxyethylene alkylpolyoxypropylene block copolymers andsorbitan fatty acid esters and cationic surfactants such asalkyltrimethylammonium salts.

Examples of the other formulation auxiliary agents include water-solublepolymers such as polyvinyl alcohol and polyvinylpyrrolidone,polysaccharides such as Arabic gum, alginic acid and the salt thereof,CMC (carboxymethyl-cellulose), Xanthan gum, inorganic materials such asaluminum magnesium silicate and alumina sol, preservatives, coloringagents and stabilization agents such as PAP (acid phosphate isopropyl)and BHT.

The composition for controlling pests according to the present inventioncan protect a plant from damages by pests which eat or suck thefollowing plants and cause other damages to the plants (for example,harmful Arthropod such as harmful insects and harmful acarids). Examplesof the pests on which the composition for controlling pests according tothe present invention has control effect include:

Hemiptera: planthoppers such as small brown planthopper (Laodelphaxstriatellus), brown rice planthopper (Nilaparvata lugens) andwhite-backed rice planthopper (Sogatella furcifera); leafhoppers such asgreen rice leafhopper (Nephotettix cincticeps) and green rice leafhopper(Nephotettix virescens); aphids such as cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii),green peach aphid (Myzus persicae), cabbage aphid (Brevicorynebrassicae), potato aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae), foxglove aphid(Aulacorthum solani), oat bird-cherry aphid (Rhopalosiphum padi) andtropical citrus aphid (Toxoptera citricidus); stink bugs such as greenstink bug (Nezara antennata), bean bug (Riptortus clavetus), rice bug(Leptocorisa chinensis), white spotted spined bug (Eysarcoris parvus),brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha mista) and tarnished plant bug(Lygus lineolaris); whiteflies such as greenhouse whitefly (Trialeurodesvaporariorum), sweetpotato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) and silverleafwhitefly (Bemisia argentifolii); scales such as california red scale(Aonidiella aurantii), san jose scale (Comstockaspis perniciosa), citrussnow scale (Unaspis citri), red wax scale (Ceroplastes rubens) andcottony cushion scale (Icerya purchasi); lace bugs; psyllids;

Lepidoptera: pyralid moths such as rice stem borer (Chile suppressalis),yellow stem borer (Tryporyza incertulas), rice leafroller(Cnaphalocrocis medinalis), cotton leafroller (Notarcha derogata),Indian meal moth (Plodia interpunctella), oriental corn borer (Ostriniafurnacalis), european corn borer (Ostrinia nubilaris), cabbage webworm(Hellula undalis) and bluegrass webworm (Pediasia teterrellus); owletmoths such as common cutworm (Spodoptera litura), beet armyworm(Spodoptera exigua), rice armyworm (Pseudaletia separata), cabbagearmyworm (Mamestra brassicae), black cutworm (Agrotis ipsilon), beetsemi-looper (Plusia nigrisigna), Thoricoplusia spp., Heliothis spp., andHelicoverpa spp.; Pieridae such as cabbage butterfly (Pieris rapae);tortricid moths such as Adoxophyes spp., oriental fruit moth (Grapholitamolesta), soybean pod borer (Leguminivora glycinivorella), azuki beanpodworm (Matsumuraeses azukivora), summer fruit tortrix (Adoxophyesorana fasciata), smaller tea tortrix (Adoxophyes sp.), oriental teatortrix (Homona magnanima), apple tortrix (Archips fuscocupreanus), andcodling moth (Cydia pomonella); leafblotch miners such as tea leafroller(Caloptilia theivora), and apple leafminer (Phyllonorycter ringoneella);fruitworm moths such as peach fruit moth (Carposina niponensis);lyonetiid moths such as Lyonetia spp.; tussock moths such as Lymantriaspp., and Euproctis spp.; yponomeutid moths such as diamondback moths(Plutella xylostella); gelechiid moths such as pink bollworm(Pectinophora gossypiella), and potato tubeworm (Phthorimaeaoperculella); tiger moths such as fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea);tineid moths such as casemaking clothes moth (Tinea translucens), andwebbing clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella);

Thysanoptera: thrips such as yellow citrus thrip (Frankliniellaoccidentalis), melon thrip (Thrips parmi), yellow tea thrip(Scirtothrips dorsalis), onion thrip (Thrips tabaci), flower thrip(Frankliniella intonsa), tobacco thrip (Frankliniella fusca);

Diptera: leaf miners such as oriental house fly (Musca domestica),common house mosquito (Culex pipiens pallens), common horse fly (Tabanustrigonus), onion maggot (Hylemya antiqua), seedcorn maggot (Hylemyaplatura), hyrcanus group mosquito (Anopheles sinensis), rice leafminer(Agromyza oryzae), rice leafminer, (Hydrellia griseola), rice stemmaggot (Chlorops oryzae) and legume leafminer (Liriomyza trifolii);melon fly (Dacus cucurbitae), Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitiscapitata);

Coleoptera: twenty-eight-spotted ladybird (Epilachnavigintioctopunctata), cucurbit leaf beetle (Aulacophora femoralis),striped flea beetle (Phyllotreta striolata), rice leaf beetle (Oulemaoryzae), rice curculio (Echinocnemus squameus), rice water weevil(Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus), boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis), azukibean weevil (Callosobruchus chinensis), hunting billbug (Sphenophorusvenatus), Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica), cupreous chafer (Anomalacuprea), corn root worms (Diabrotica spp.), Colorado beetle(Leptinotarsa decemlineata); click beetles (Agriotes spp.), cigarettebeetle (Lasioderma serricorne), varied carper beetle (Anthrenusverbasci), red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum), powder post beetle(Lyctus brunneus), white-spotted longicorn beetle (Anoplophoramalasiaca), pine shoot beetle (Tomicus piniperda);

Orthoptera: Asiatic locust (Locusta migratoria), African mole cricket(Gryllotalpa africana), rice grasshopper (Oxya yezoensis), ricegrasshopper (Oxya japonica);

Hymenoptera: Cabbage sawfly (Athalia rosae), leaf-cutting ant(Acromyrmex spp.), fire ant (Solenopsis spp.);

Blattaria: German cockroach (Blattella germanica), smokybrown cockroach(Periplaneta fuliginosa), american cockroach (Periplaneta americana),brown cockroach (Periplaneta brunnea) and oriental cockroach (Blattaorientalis);

Acarina: spider mites such as two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychusurticae), citrus red mite (Panonychus citri), and Oligonychus spp.;eriophyid mites such as pink citrus rust mite (Aculops pelekassi);tarosonemid mites such as broad mite (Polyphagotarsonemus latus); falsespider mites; peacock mites; flour mites such as mould mite (Tyrophagusputrescentiae); house dust mites such as American house dust mite(Dermatophagoides farinae), European house dust mite (Dermatophagoidesptrenyssnus); cheyletid mites such as Cheyletus eruditus, Cheyletusmalaccensis, Cheyletus moorei;

Nematodes; rice white-tip nematode (Aphelenchoides besseyi), strawberrybud nematode (Nothotylenchus acris).

Examples on which high control effects of the present invention areexpected include aphids, thrips, leaf miners, horsehair worm, Coloradobeetle, Japanese beetle, cupreous chafer, boll weevil, rice waterweevil, tabacco thrip, corn root worms, diamondback moths, greencaterpillar and soybean pod borer.

The composition for controlling pests according to the present inventionis effective for controlling the following plant diseases.

Diseases of rice: blast (Magnaporthe grisea), Helminthosporium leaf spot(Cochliobolus miyabeanus), sheath blight (Rhizoctonia solani), andbakanae disease (Gibberella fujikuroi).

Diseases of wheat: powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis), Fusarium headblight (Fusarium graminearum, F. avenacerum, F. culmorum, Microdochiumnivale), rust (Puccinia striiformis, P. graminis, P. recondita), pinksnow mold (Micronectriella nivale), Typhula snow blight (Typhula sp.),loose smut (Ustilago tritici), bunt (Tilletia caries), eyespot(Pseudocercosporella herpotrichoides), leaf blotch (Mycosphaerellagraminicola), glume blotch (Stagonospora nodorum), and yellow spot(Pyrenophora tritici-repentis),

Diseases of barley: powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis), Fusarium headblight (Fusarium graminearum, F. avenacerum, P. culmorum, Microdochiumnivale), rust (Puccinia striiformis, P. graminis, P. hordei), loose smut(Ustilago nuda), scald (Rhynchosporium secalis), net blotch (Pyrenophorateres), spot blotch (Cochliobolus sativus), leaf stripe (Pyrenophoragraminea), and Rhizoctonia damping-off (Rhizoctonia solani).

Diseases of corn: smut (Ustilago maydis), brown spot (Cochliobolusheterostrophus), copper spot (Gloeocercospora sorghi), southern rust(Puccinia polysora), gray leaf spot (Cercospora zeae-maydis), andRhizoctonia damping-off (Rhizoctonia solani),

Diseases of citrus: melanose (Diaporthe citri), scab (Elsinoe fawcetti),penicillium rot (Penicillium digitatum, P. italicum), and brown rot(Phytophthora parasitica, Phytophthora citrophthora).

Diseases of apple: blossom (Monilinia mali), canker (Valsaceratosperma), powdery mildew (Podosphaera leucotricha), Alternaria leafspot (Alternaria alternata apple pathotype), scab (Venturia inaequalis),bitter rot (Colletotrichum acutatum), crown rot (Phytophtora cactorum),and violet root rot (Helicobasidium mompa).

Diseases of pear: scab (Venturia nashicola, V. pirina), black spot(Alternaria alternata Japanese pear pathotype), rust (Gymnosporangiumharaeanum), and phytophthora fruit rot (Phytophtora cactorum);

Diseases of peach: brown rot (Monilinia fructicola), scab (Cladosporiumcarpophilum), and phomopsis rot (Phomopsis sp.).

Diseases of grape: anthracnose (Elsinoe ampelina), ripe rot (Glomerellacingulata), powdery mildew (Uncinula necator), rust (Phakopsoraampelopsidis), black rot (Guignardia bidwellii) and downy mildew(Plasmopara viticola).

Diseases of Japanese persimmon: anthracnose (Gloeosporium kaki), andleaf spot (Cercospora kaki, Mycosphaerella nawae).

Diseases of gourde: anthracnose (Colletotrichum lagenarium), powderymildew (Sphaerotheca fuliginea), gummy stem blight (Mycosphaerellamelonis), Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum), downy mildew(Pseudoperonospora cubensis), Phytophthora rot (Phytophthora sp.), anddamping-off (Pythium sp.);

Diseases of tomato: early blight (Alternaria solani), leaf mold(Cladosporium fulvum), and late blight (Phytophthora infestans).

Diseases of eggplant: brown spot (Phomopsis vexans), and powdery mildew(Erysiphe cichoracearum).

Diseases of cruciferous vegetables: Alternaria leaf spot (Alternariajaponica), white spot (Cercosporella brassicae), clubroot(Plasmodiophora brassicae), and downy mildew (Peronospora parasitica).

Diseases of welsh onion: rust (Puccinia allii), and downy mildew(Peronospora destructor).

Diseases of soybean: purple seed stain (Cercospora kikuchii), sphacelomascad (Elsinoe glycines), pod and stem blight (Diaporthe phaseolorum var.sojae), septoria brown spot (Septoria glycines), frogeye leaf spot(Cercospora sojina), rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi), brown stem rot(Phytophthora sojae), and Rhizoctonia damping-off (Rhizoctonia solani).

Diseases of kidney bean: anthracnose (Colletotrichum lindemthianum).

Diseases of peanut: leaf spot (Cercospora personata), brown leaf spot(Cercospora arachidicola) and southern blight (Sclerotium rolfsii),

Diseases of garden pea; powdery mildew (Erysiphe pisi), and root rot(Fusarium solani f. sp. pisi).

Diseases of potato: early blight (Alternaria solani), late blight(Phytophthora infestans), pink rot (Phytophthora erythroseptica),powdery scab (Spongospora subterranean f. sp. subterranea), and blackscurf (Rhizoctonia solani).

Diseases of strawberry: powdery mildew (Sphaerotheca humuli), andanthracnose (Glomerella cingulata).

Diseases of tea: net blister blight (Exobasidium reticulatum), whitescab (Elsinoe leucospila), gray blight (Pestalotiopsis sp.), andanthracnose (Colletotrichum theaesinensis).

Diseases of tobacco: brown spot (Alternaria longipes), powdery mildew(Erysiphe cichoracearum), anthracnose (Colletotrichum tabacum), downymildew (Peronospora tabacina), and black shank (Phytophthoranicotianae).

Diseases of rapeseed: sclerotinia rot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum), andRhizoctonia damping-off (Rhizoctonia solani).

Diseases of cotton; Rhizoctonia damping-off (Rhizoctonia solani).

Diseases of sugar beat: Cercospora leaf spot (Cercospora beticola), leafblight (Thanatephorus cucumeris), root rot (Thanatephorus cucumeris),and Aphanomyces root rot (Aphanomyces cochlioides).

Diseases of rose: black spot (Diplocarpon rosae), powdery mildew(Sphaerotheca pannosa), and downy mildew (Peronospora sparsa).

Diseases of chrysanthemum and asteraceous plants; downy mildew (Bremialactucae), leaf blight (Septoria chrysanthemi-indici), and white rust(Puccinia horiana).

Diseases of various groups: diseases caused by Pythium spp. (Pythiumaphanidermatum, Pythium debarianum, Pythium graminicola, Pythiumirregulare, Pythium ultimum), gray mold (Botrytis cinerea), Sclerotiniarot (Sclerotinia sclerotiorum), and southern blight (Sclerotiumrolfsii).

Disease of Japanese radish: Alternaria leaf spot (Alternariabrassicicola).

Diseases of turfgrass: dollar spot (Sclerotinia homeocarpa), and brownpatch and large patch (Rhizoctonia solani).

Disease of banana: sigatoka (Mycosphaerella fijiensis, Mycosphaerellamusicola).

Disease of sunflower: downy mildew (Plasmopara halstedii).

Seed diseases or diseases in the early stages of the growth of variousplants caused by Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp., Fusarium spp.,Gibberella spp., Tricoderma spp., Thielaviopsis spp. , Rhizopus spp.,Mucor spp., Corticium spp., Phoma spp., Rhizoctonia spp. and Diplodiaspp.

Viral diseases of various plants mediated by Polymixa spp. or theOlpidium spp. and so on.

Among the above, particularly high control effects of the presentinvention are expected for foliage diseases, soilborne diseases andseed-borne diseases of various plants caused by Oomycetes.

In the case of spray treatment, examples of plant diseases which areexpected to be controlled include brown stem rot (Phytophthora sojae) ofsoybean, black shank (Phytophthora nicotianae) of tobacco, downy mildew(Plasmopara halstedii) of sunflower, and late blight (Phytophthorainfestans) of potato.

In the case of treatment of seed, bulb or the like, examples of plantdiseases which are expected to be controlled include damping-off androot rot of wheat, barley, corn, rice, sorghum, soybean, cotton,rapeseed, sugar beat and turfgrass caused by Pythium spp. (Pythiumaphanidermatum, Pythium debarianum, Pythium graminicola, Pythiumirregulare, Pythium ultimum), brown stem rot of soybean, black shank oftobacco, downy mildew of sunflower, and Aphanomyces root rot(Aphanomyces cochlioides) of sugar beat.

Pests can be controlled by applying effective amounts of ethaboxam andthe neonicotinoid compound represented by formula (1) to the pests or aplace where the pests inhabit or a place (plant, soil) where the pestsmay inhabit.

By applying effective amounts of ethaboxam and the neonicotinoidcompound represented by formula (1) to a plant or a place where a plantis allowed to grow, pests can be controlled and plants can be protectedfrom damages by pests. As a plant which is the object of application,stalk and leaves of the plant, seed of the plant, bulbs of the plant canbe included. Here, the bulb means a bulb, corm, rhizoma, stem tuber,root tuber and rhizophore.

When the application is conducted to pests, a plant or the soil wherethe plant is allowed to grow, ethaboxam and the neonicotinoid compoundrepresented by formula (1) may be separately applied for the sameperiod, but they are typically applied as a composition for controllingpests of the present invention from the viewpoint of simplicity of theapplication.

The controlling method of the present invention includes treatment ofstalk and leaves of a plant, treatment of the place where the plant isallowed to grow such as the soil, treatment of the seeds such as seedsterilization/seed coating and treatment of the bulb such as potatosets.

As the treatment of stalk and leaves of a plant in the control method ofthe present invention, specifically, for example, application onto thesurface of the plant such as spraying to the stalk and leaves andspraying to the trunk can be included.

As the treatment of the soil in the control method of the presentinvention, for example, spraying onto the soil, admixing with the soil,perfusion of an agent liquid into the soil (irrigation of an agentliquid, injection into the soil, dripping of an agent liquid) can beincluded and the examples of the place to be treated include a plantinghole, a furrow, peripheral of the planting hole, peripheral of theplanting furrow, the entire surface of the growing area, the partsbetween the soil and the plant, area between roots, area beneath thetrunk, main furrow, growing soil, box for raising seedlings, tray forraising seedlings, seedbed. The treatment can be performed beforedissemination, at the time of dissemination, immediately after thedissemination, during the raising period of seedlings, before settledplanting, at the time of settled planting and growing time after settledplanting. In the soil treatment mentioned above, the active ingredientsmay be applied to the plant at the same time, or solid manure such aspaste manure containing the active ingredients may be applied to thesoil. The active ingredients may be mixed in irrigating liquid, and, forexample, may be injected to irrigating facilities (irrigating tube,irrigating pipe, sprinkler, etc.), mixed into the flooding liquidbetween furrows, or mixed into a water culture medium. Alternatively,the irrigating liquid and the active ingredients may be mixed beforehandand, for example, used for treatment by an appropriate irrigating methodincluding the irrigating method mentioned above and the other methodssuch as sprinkling and flooding.

Treatment of a seed in the control method of the present invention is,for example, a method for treating a seed, a bulb ox the like to beprotected from pests with a composition for controlling pests of thepresent invention and specific examples thereof include a sprayingtreatment in which a suspension of the composition for controlling pestsof the present invention is atomized and sprayed on the seed surface orthe bulb surface; smearing treatment in which a wettable powder, anemulsion, a flowable agent or the like of the composition forcontrolling pests of one present invention as it is or added with asmall amount of water is applied on the seed surface or the bulbsurface; immersing treatment in which the seed is immersed in a solutionof the composition for controlling pests of the present invention for acertain period of time; film coating treatment and pellet coatingtreatment.

When a plant or the soil for growing a plant is treated with ethaboxamand a neonicotinoid compound represented by formula (1), for example,either one of clothianidin, thiamethoxam and imidacloprid, the amountfor the treatment may be changed depending on the kind of the plant tobe treated, the kind and the occurring frequency of the pests to becontrolled, formulation form, treatment period, climatic condition andso on but the total amount of ethaboxam and the neonicotinoid compoundrepresented by formula (1) (hereinbelow referred to as the amount of theactive ingredients) per 10,000 m² is typically 1 to 5000 g andpreferably 2 to 500 g.

The emulsion, wettable powder, flowable agent or the like is typicallydiluted with water, and then sprinkled for treatment. In this case, theconcentration of the active ingredients is typically in the range of0.0001 to 3% by weight and preferably 0.0005 to 1% by weight. The powderagent, granule agent or the like is typically used for treatment withoutdilution.

In the treatment of seeds, the amount of the applied active ingredientsis typically in the range of 0.001 to 40 g, preferably 0.01 to 10 g per1 kg of seeds.

The control method of the present invention can be used in agriculturallands such as fields, paddy fields, lawns and orchards or innon-agricultural lands.

The present invention can be used to control pests in agricultural landsfor cultivating the following “plant” and the like without adverselyaffecting the plant and so on.

Examples of the crops are as follows:

crops: corn, rice, wheat, barley, rye, oat, sorghum, cotton, soybean,peanut, buckwheat, beet, rapeseed, sunflower, sugar cane, tobacco, etc.;

vegetables: solanaceous vegetables (eggplant, tomato, pimento, pepper,potato, etc.), cucurbitaceous vegetables (cucumber, pumpkin, zucchini,water melon, melon, squash, etc), cruciferous vegetables (Japaneseradish, white turnip, horseradish, kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, cabbage,leaf mustard, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.), asteraceous vegetables(burdock, crown daisy, artichoke, lettuce, etc.), liliaceous vegetables(green onion, onion, garlic, and asparagus), ammiaceous vegetables(carrot, parsley, celery, parsnip, etc.), chenopodiaceous vegetables(spinach, Swiss chard, etc.), lamiaceous vegetables (Perilla frutescens,mint, basil, etc.), strawberry, sweet potato, Dioscorea japonica,colocasia, etc.,

flowers,

foliage plants,

turf grasses,

fruits: pomaceous fruits (apple, pear, Japanese pear, Chinese quince,quince, etc.), stone fleshy fruits (peach, plum, nectarine, Prunus mume,cherry fruit, apricot, prune, etc.), citrus fruits (Citrus unshiu,orange, lemon, rime, grapefruit, etc), nuts (chestnuts, walnuts,hazelnuts, almond, pistachio, cashew nuts, macadamia nuts, etc.),berries (blueberry, cranberry, blackberry, raspberry, etc), grape, kakifruit, olive, Japanese plum, banana, coffee, date palm, coconuts, etc.

trees other than fruit trees; tea, mulberry, flowering plant, roadsidetrees (ash, birch, dogwood, Eucalyptus, Ginkgo biloba, lilac, maple,Quercus, poplar, Judas tree, Liquidambar formosana, plane tree, zelkova,Japanese arborvitae, fir wood, hemlock, juniper, Pinus, Picea, and Taxuscuspidate), etc.

The aforementioned “plants” include plants, to which resistance to HPPDinhibitors such as isoxaflutole, ALS inhibitors such as imazethapyr orthifensulfuron-methyl, EPSP synthetase inhibitors such as glyphosate,glutamine synthetase inhibitors such as the glufosinate, acetyl-CoAcarboxylase inhibitors such as sethoxydim, PPO inhibitors such asflumioxazin, and herbicides such as bromoxynil, dicamba, 2,4-D, etc. hasbeen conferred by a classical breeding method or genetic engineeringtechnique.

Examples of a “plant” on which resistance has been conferred by aclassical breeding method include rape, wheat, sunflower and riceresistant to imidazolinone ALS inhibitory herbicides sued animazethapyr, which are already commercially available under a producename of Clearfield (registered trademark). Similarly, there is soy beanon which resistance to sulfonylurea ALS inhibitory herbicides such asthifensulfuron-methyl has been conferred by a classical breeding method,which is already commercially available under a product name of STS soybean. Similarly, examples on which resistance to acetyl-CoA carboxylaseinhibitors such as trione oxime or aryloxy phenoxypropionic acidherbicides has been conferred by a classical breeding method include SRcorn. The plant on which resistance to acetyl-CoA carboxylase inhibitorshas been conferred is described in Proceedings of the National Academyof Sciences of the United States of America (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci.USA), vol. 87, pp. 7175-7179 (1990). A variation of acetyl-CoAcarboxylase resistant to an acetyl-CoA carboxylase inhibitor is reportedin Weed Science, vol. 53, pp. 728-746 (2005) and a plant resistant toacetyl-CoA carboxylase inhibitors can be generated by introducing a geneof such an acetyl-CoA carboxylase variation into a plant by geneticallyengineering technology, or by introducing a variation conferringresistance into a plant acetyl-CoA carboxylase. Furthermore, plantsresistant to acetyl-CoA carboxylase inhibitors or ALS inhibitors or thelike can be generated by introducing a site-directed amino acidsubstitution variation into an acetyl-CoA carboxylase gene or the ALSgene of the plant by introduction a nucleic acid into which has beenintroduced a base substitution variation represented ChimeraplastyTechnique (Gura T. 1999, Repairing the Genome's Spelling Mistakes.Science 285: 316-318) into a plant cell.

Examples of a plant on which resistance has been conferred by geneticengineering technology include corn, soy bean, cotton, rape, sugar beetresistant to glyphosate, which is already commercially available under aproduct name of RoundupReady (registered trademark), AgrisureGT, etc.Similarly, there are corn, soy bean, cotton and rape which are maderesistant to glufosinate by genetic engineering technology, a kind,which is already commercially available under a product name ofLibertyLink (registered trademark). A cotton made resistant tobromoxynil by genetic engineering technology is already commerciallyavailable under a product name of BXN likewise.

The aforementioned “plants” include genetically engineered cropsproduced using such genetic engineering techniques, which, for example,are able to synthesize selective toxins as known in genus Bacillus.

Examples of toxins expressed in such genetically engineered cropsinclude: insecticidal proteins derived from Bacillus cereus or Bacilluspopilliae; δ-endotoxins such as Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, Cry1F, Cry1Fa2, Cry2Ab,Cry3A, Cry3Bb1 or Cry9C, derived from Bacillus thuringiensis;insecticidal proteins such as VIP1, VIP2, VIP3, or VIP3A; insecticidalproteins derived from nematodes; toxins generated by animals, such asscorpion toxin, spider toxin, bee toxin, or insect-specific neurotoxins;mold fungi toxins; plant lectin; agglutinin; protease inhibitors such asa trypsin inhibitor, a serine protease inhibitor, patatin, cystatin, ora papain inhibitor; ribosome-inactivating proteins (RIP) such as lycine,corn-RIP, abrin, luffin, saporin, or briodin; steroid-metabolizingenzymes such as 3-hydroxysteroid oxidase, ecdysteroid-UDP-glucosyltransferase, or cholesterol oxidase; an ecdysone inhibitor; HMG-COAreductase; ion channel inhibitors such as a sodium channel inhibitor orcalcium channel inhibitor; juvenile hormone esterase; a diuretic hormonereceptor; stilbene synthase; bibenzyl synthase; chitinase; andglucanase.

Toxins expressed in such genetically engineered crops also include:hybrid toxins of δ-endotoxin proteins such as Cry1Ab, Cry1Ac, Cry1F,Cry1Fa2, Cry2Ab, Cry3A, Cry3Bb1, Cry9C, Cry34Ab or Cry35Ab andinsecticidal proteins such as VIP1, VIP2, VIP3 or VIP3A; partiallydeleted toxins; and modified toxins. Such hybrid toxins are producedfrom a new combination of the different domains of such proteins, usinga genetic engineering technique. As a partially deleted toxin, Cry1Abcomprising a deletion of a portion of an amino acid sequence has beenknown. A modified toxin is produced by substitution of one or multipleamino acids of natural toxins.

Examples of such toxins and genetically engineered plants capable ofsynthesizing such toxins are described in EP-A-0 374 753, WO 93/07278,WO 95/34656, HP-A-0 427 529, EP-A-451 878, WO 03/052073, etc.

Toxins contained in such genetically engineered plants are able tocenter resistance particularly to insect pests belonging to Coleoptera,Hemiptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera and Nematodes, to the plants.

Genetically engineered plants, which comprise one or multipleinsecticidal pest-resistant genes and which express one or multipletoxins, have already been known, and some of such genetically engineeredplants have already been on the market. Examples of such geneticallyengineered plants include YieldGard (registered trademark) (a cornvariety for expressing Cry1Ab toxin), YieldGard Rootworm (registeredtrademark) (a corn variety for expressing Cry3Bb1 toxin), YieldGard Plus(registered trademark) (a corn variety for expressing Cry1Ab and Cry3Bb1toxins), Herculex I (registered trademark) (a corn variety forexpressing phosphinotricine N-acetyl transferase (PAT) so as to conferresistance to Cry1Fa2 toxin and glufosinate), NuCOTN33B (registeredtrademark) (a cotton variety for expressing Cry1Ac toxin), Bollgard I(registered trademark) (a cotton variety for expressing Cry1Ac toxin),Bollgard II (registered trademark) (a cotton variety for expressingCry1Ac and Cry2Ab toxins), VIPCOT (registered trademark) (a cottonvariety for expressing VIP toxin), NewLeaf (registered trademark) (apotato variety for expressing Cry3A toxin), NatureGard (registeredtrademark) Agrisure (registered trademark) GT Advantage (GA21glyphosate-resistant trait), Agrisure (registered trademark) CBAdvantage (Bt11 corn borer (CB) trait), and Protecta (registeredtrademark).

The aforementioned “plants” also include crops produced using a geneticengineering technique, which have ability to generate antipathogenicsubstances having selective action.

A PR protein and the like have been known as such antipathogenicsubstances (PRPs, EP-A-0 392 225). Such antipathogenic substances andgenetically engineered crops that generate them are described in EP-A-0393 225, WO 95/33818, EP-A-0 353 191, etc.

Examples of such antipathogenic substances expressed in geneticallyengineered crops include: ion channel inhibitors such as a sodiumchannel inhibitor or a calcium channel inhibitor (KP1, KP4 and KP6toxins, etc., which are produced by viruses, have been known); stilbenesynthase; bibenzyl synthase; chitinase; glucanase; a PR protein; andantipathogenic substances generated by microorganisms, such as a peptideantibiotic, an antibiotic having a hetero ring, a protein factorassociated with resistance to plant diseases (which is called a plantdisease-resistant gene and is described in WO 03/000906). Theseantipathogenic substances and genetically engineered plants producingsuch substances are described in EP-A-0392225, WO95/33818, EP-A-0353191,etc.

The “plant” mentioned above includes plants on which advantageouscharacters such as characters improved in oil stuff ingredients orcharacters having reinforced amino acid content have been conferred bygenetically engineering technology. Examples thereof include VISTIVE(registered trademark) low linolenic soy bean having reduced linoleniccontent) or high-lysine (high-oil) corn (corn with increased lysine oroil content).

Stack varieties are also included in which a plurality of advantageouscharacters such as the classic herbicide characters mentioned above orherbicide tolerance genes, harmful insect resistance genes,antipathogenic substance producing genes, characters improved in oilstuff ingredients or characters having reinforced amino acid content arecombined.

EXAMPLES

While the present invention will be more specifically described by wayof formulation examples, seed treatment examples, and test examples inthe following, the present invention is not limited to the followingexamples. In the following examples, the part represents part by weightunless otherwise noted in particular.

Formulation Example 1

Fully mixed are 2.5 parts of clothianidin, 1.25 parts of ethaboxam, 14parts of polyoxyethylene styrylphenyl ether, 6 parts of calcium dodecylbenzene sulfonate and 76.25 parts of xylene, so as to obtain anemulsion.

Formulation Example 2

Five (5) parte of clothianidin, 5 parts of ethaboxam, 35 parts of amixture of white carbon and a polyoxyethylene alkyl ether sulfateammonium salt (weight ratio 1:1) and 55 parts of water are mixed, andthe mixture is subjected to fine grinding according to a wet grindingmethod, so as to obtain a flowable formulation.

Formulation Example 3

Five (5) parts of imidacloprid, 10 parts of ethaboxam, 1.5 parts ofsorbitan trioleate and 28.5 parts of an aqueous solution containing 2parts of polyvinyl alcohol are mixed, and the mixture is subjected tofine grinding according to a wet grinding method. Thereafter, 45 partsof an aqueous solution containing 0.05 part of Xanthan gum and 0.1 partof aluminum magnesium silicate is added to the resultant mixture, and 10parts of propylene glycol is further added thereto. The obtained mixtureis blended by stirring, so as to obtain a flowable formulation.

Formulation Example 4

Five (5) parts of thiamethoxam, 20 parts of ethaboxam, 1.5 parts ofsorbitan trioleate and 28.5 parts of an aqueous solution containing 2parts of polyvinyl alcohol are mixed, and the mixture is subjected tofine grinding according to a wet grinding method. Thereafter, 35 partsof an aqueous solution containing 0.05 part of Xanthan gum and 0.1 partof aluminum magnesium silicate is added to the resultant mixture, and 10parts of propylene glycol is further added thereto. The obtained mixtureis blended by stirring, so as to obtain a flowable formulation.

Formulation Example 5

Forty (40) parts of imidacloprid, 5 parts of ethaboxam, 5 parts ofpropylene glycol (manufactured by Nacalai Tesque), 5 parts ofSoprophorFLK (manufactured by Rhodia Nikka), 0.2 parts of an anti-form Cemulsion (manufactured by Dow Corning), 0.3 parts of proxel GXL(manufactured by Arch Chemicals) and 44.5 parts of ion-exchange waterare mixed so as to obtain a bulk slurry. 150 parts of glass beads(diameter=1 mm) are put into 100 parts of the slurry, and the slurry isground for 2 hours while being cooled with a cooling water. Afterground, the resultant is filtered to remove the glass beads and aflowable formulation is obtained.

Formulation Example 6

Fifty (50) parts of thiamethoxam, 0.5 part of ethaboxam, 38 parts of NNkaolin clay (manufactured by Takehara Chemical Industrial), 10 parts ofMorwetD425 and 1.5 parts of MorwerEFW (manufactured by Akzo Nobel Corp.)are mixed to obtain an AI premix. This premix is ground with a jet millso as to obtain powders.

Formulation Example 7

One (1) part of clothianidin, 4 parts of ethaboxam, 1 part of synthetichydrated silicon oxide, 2 parts of calcium lignin sulfonate, 30 parts ofbentonite and 62 parts of kaolin clay are fully ground and mixed, andthe resultant mixture is added with water and fully kneaded, and thensubjected to granulation and drying so as to obtain granules.

Formulation Example 8

Five (5) parts of thiamethoxam, 40 parts of ethaboxam, 3 parts ofcalcium lignin sulfonate, 2 parts of sodium lauryl sulfate and 50 partsof synthetic hydrated silicon oxide are fully ground and mixed so as toobtain wettable powders.

Formulation Example 9

One (1) parts of imidacloprid, 2 parts of ethaboxam, 87 parts of kaolinclay and 10 parts of talc are fully ground and mixed so as to obtainpowders.

Formulation Example 10

Two (2) parts of imidacloprid, 0.25 part of ethaboxam, 14 parts ofpolyoxyethylene styrylphenyl ether, 6 parts of calcium dodecyl benzenesulfonate and 77.75 parts of xylene are fully mixed, so as to obtainemulsions.

Formulation Example 11

Ten (10) parts of imidacloprid, 2.5 parts of ethaboxam, 1.5 parts ofsorbitan trioleate, 30 parts of an aqueous solution containing 2 partsof polyvinyl alcohol are subjected to fine grinding according to a wetgrinding method. Thereafter, 46 parts of an aqueous solution containing0.05 part of Xanthan gum and 0.1 part of aluminum magnesium silicate isadded to the ground solution, and 10 parts of propylene glycol isfurther added thereto. The obtained mixture is blended by stirring, soas to obtain a flowable formulation.

Formulation Example 12

Three (3) parts of clothianidin, 20 parts of ethaboxam, 1 part ofsynthetic hydrated silicon oxide, 2 parts of calcium lignin sulfonate,30 parts of bentonite and 44 parts of kaolin clay are ground and mixed,and the resultant mixture is added with water and fully kneaded, andthen subjected granulation and drying so as to obtain granules.

Formulation Example 13

Forty (40) parts of thiamethoxam, 1 part of ethaboxam, 3 parts ofcalcium lignin sulfonate, 2 parts of sodium lauryl sulfate and 54 partsof synthetic hydrated silicon oxide are fully ground and mixed so as toobtain wettable powders.

Formulation Example 14

Thirteen (13) parts of clothianidin, 1 part of ethaboxam and 86 parts ofaceton are mixed so as to obtain a simple emulsion for seed treatment.

Seed Treatment Example 1

An emulsion prepared as in Formulation example 1 is used for smeartreatment in an amount of 500 ml per 100 kg of dried sorghum seeds usinga rotary seed treatment machine (seed dresser, produced by Hans-UlrichHege GmbH) so as to obtain treated seeds.

Seed Treatment Example 2

A flowable formulation prepared as in Formulation example 2 is used forsmear treatment in an amount of 50 ml per 10 kg of dried rape seedsusing a rotary seed treatment machine (seed dresser, produced byHans-Ulrich Hege GmbH) so as to obtain treated seeds.

Seed Treatment Example 3

A flowable formulation prepared as in Formulation example 3 is used forsmear treatment in an amount of 40 ml per 10 kg of dried corn seedsusing a rotary seed treatment machine (seed dresser, produced byHans-Ulrich Hege GmbH) so as to obtain treated seeds.

Seed Treatment Example 4

Five (5) parts of a flowable formulation prepared as in Formulationexample 4, 5 parts of pigment BPD6135 (manufactured by Sun Chemical) and35 parts of water are mixed to prepare a mixture. The mixture is usedfor smear treatment in an amount of 60 ml per 10 kg of dried rice seedsusing a rotary seed treatment machine (seed dresser, produced byHans-Ulrich Hege GmbH) so as to obtain treated seeds.

Seed Treatment Example 5

A powder agent prepared as in Formulation example 5 is used for powdercoating treatment in an amount of 50 g per 10 kg of dried corn seeds soas to obtain treated seeds.

Seed Treatment Example 6

An emulsion prepared as in Formulation example 1 is used for smeartreatment in an amount of 500 ml per 100 kg of dried sugar beet seedsusing a rotary seed treatment machine (seed dresser, produced byHans-Ulrich Hege GmbH) so as to obtain treated seeds.

Seed Treatment Example 7

A flowable formulation prepared as in Formulation example 2 is used forsmear treatment in an amount of 50 ml per 10 kg of dried soy bean seedsusing a rotary seed treatment machine (seed dresser, produced byHans-Ulrich Hege GmbH) so as to obtain treated seeds.

Seed Treatment Example 8

A flowable formulation prepared as in Formulation example 3 is used forsmear treatment in an amount of 50 ml per 10 kg of dried wheat seedsusing a rotary seed treatment machine (seed dresser, produced byHans-Ulrich Hege GmbH) so as to obtain treated seeds.

Seed Treatment Example 9

Five (5) parts of a flowable formulation prepared as in Formulationexample 4, 5 parts of pigment BPD6135 (manufactured by Sun Chemical) and35 parts of water are mixed and the resultant mixture is used for smeartreatment in an amount of 70 ml per 10 kg of potato tuber pieces using arotary seed treatment machine (seed dresser, produced by Hans-UlrichHege GmbH) so as to obtain treated seeds.

Seed Treatment Example 10

Five (5) parts of a flowable formulation prepared as in Formulationexample 4, 5 parts of pigment BPD6135(manufactured by Sun Chemical) and35 parts of water are mixed and the resultant mixture is used for smeartreatment in an amount of 70 ml per 10 kg of sunflower seeds using arotary seed treatment machine (seed dresser, produced by Hans-UlrichHege GmbH) so as to obtain treated seeds.

Seed Treatment Example 11

A powder prepared as in Formulation example 6 is used for powder coatingtreatment in an amount of 40 g per 10 kg of dried cotton seeds so as toobtain treated seeds.

Test Example 1

An acetone solution of ethaboxam and an acetone solution of clothianidinwere mixed to prepare mixed liquids containing ethaboxam andclothianidin in predetermined concentration. These mixed liquids wereadhered on the surface of cucumber (Sagamihanjiro) seeds and allowed tostand still overnight. A plastic pot was filled with sandy soil and theseeds were disseminated on it. Then the seeds were covered with sandysoil which had been mixed with a bran medium on which Pythium ultimum,pathogen of cucumber damping-off, had been allowed to grow. They wereirrigated and allowed to grow at 18° C. under humidity for 13 days, andthereafter control effect was checked.

As a comparison, acetone solutions containing ethaboxam in thepredetermined concentration and acetone solutions containingclothianidin in the predetermined concentration were prepared andsubjected to similar tests. In order to calculate the control value, theincidence of disease was also determined in the case in which the seedshad not been treated with the agent.

The incidence of disease was calculated by Equation 1 and the controlvalue was calculated by Equation 2 based on the incidence of disease.

The results are shown in Table 1.

Incidence of disease=(Number of no emerging seedlings and number ofseedlings in which development of disease was observed)×100/(Number oftotal disseminated seeds)  “Equation 1”

Control value=100(A−B)/A  “Equation 2”;

-   -   A: Incidence of disease of plant in untreated area    -   B: Incidence of disease of plant in treated area

Generally, the control value expected for the case in which the giventwo kinds of active ingredient compounds are mixed and used for thetreatment, the so-called control value expectation is calculated fromthe following Colby's calculating equation.

E=X+Y−(X×Y)/100  “Equation 2”;

-   -   X: Control value (%) when active ingredient compound A is used        for treatment in M g per 100 kg of seeds    -   Y: Control value (%) when active ingredient compound B is need        for treatment in N g per 100 kg of seeds    -   E: Control value (%) expected for the case in which active        ingredient compound A in M g per 100 kg of seeds and active        ingredient compound B in N g per 100 kg of seeds are mixed and        used for treatment (hereinbelow referred to as “control value        expectation”)

“Synergistic effect (%)”=(Actual control value)×100/(Control valueexpectation)

TABLE 1 Test compounds Ethaboxam clothianidin Actual Control g ai/100kg- g ai/100 kg- control value Synergistic seed seed value expectationeffect (%) 10 150 100 73 136 10 0 73 — — 5 300 87 60 145 5 150 80 60 1335 0 60 — — 0 300 0.0 — — 0 150 0.0 — —

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

According to the present invention, a composition for controlling pestshaving high activity, and a method for effectively controlling pests canbe provided.

1-7. (canceled)
 8. A composition for controlling pests comprising, asactive ingredients, ethaboxam and a neonicotinoid compound representedby formula (1);

wherein A represents a 6-chloro-3-pyridyl group, a 2-chloro-5-thiazolylgroup, a tetrahydrofuran-2-yl group or a tetrahydrofuran-3-yl group; Zrepresents a methyl group, an NHR² group, an N(CH₃)R² group or an SR²group; R¹ represents a hydrogen atom, a methyl group or an ethyl group;R² represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; or R¹ and R² togethermay form a CH₂CH₂ group or a CH₂OCH₂ group; X represents a nitrogen atomor a CH group; and Y represents a cyano group or a nitro group; whereinthe neonicotinoid compound represented by formula (1) is selected fromthe group consisting of clothianidin, thiamethoxam, imidacloprid,nitenpyram, dinotefuran, acetamiprid and thiacloprid.
 9. The compositionfor controlling pests according to claim 8, wherein the neonicotinoidcompound represented by formula (1) is selected from the groupconsisting of nitenpyram, dinotefuran, acetamiprid and thiacloprid. 10.The composition for controlling pests according to claim 8, which has aweight ratio of ethaboxam to the neonicotinoid compound represented byformula (1) of claim 8 falling within the range of from 1:0.125 to1:500.
 11. A seed treatment agent comprising, as active ingredients,ethaboxam and the neonicotinoid compound represented by formula (1) ofclaim 8; wherein the neonicotinoid compound represented by formula (1)is selected from the group consisting of clothianidin, thiamethoxam,imidacloprid, nitenpyram, dinotefuran, acetamiprid and thiacloprid. 12.A plant seed treated with effective amounts of ethaboxam and theneonicotinoid compound represented by formula (1) of claim 8; whereinthe neonicotinoid compound represented by formula (1) is selected fromthe group consisting of clothianidin, thiamethoxam, imidacloprid,nitenpyram, dinotefuran, acetamiprid and thiacloprid.
 13. A method forcontrolling pests which comprises applying, to a plant or a locus wherea plant is allowed to grow, effective amounts of ethaboxam and theneonicotinoid compound represented by formula (1) of claim 8; whereinthe neonicotinoid compound represented by formula (1) is selected fromthe group consisting of clothianidin, thiamethoxam, imidacloprid,nitenpyram, dinotefuran, acetamiprid and thiacloprid.